Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making in implementing its alcohol strategy.

Mr Tom McCabe: Good progress is being made in delivering the Plan for Action on alcohol problems . Key Executive action to date includes additional funding for local Alcohol Action Teams, development of a national alcohol information resource, publication of an alcohol problems support and treatment services framework and appointment of national alcohol liaison officer to support the work of local teams. We are currently analysing local alcohol action plans and reviewing the national alcohol communications strategy to ensure that it covers all key target groups. A full review of progress in delivering the plan will be carried out by the end of 2003.

Animal Welfare

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what its priorities are for animal welfare.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive gives a high priority to animal welfare. We shall continue to build on our strengths, emphasise good practice and target bad practice. Work is continuing to assist animal keepers through our on-going programme of updating the livestock welfare codes.

Anti-Social Behaviour

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its proposals to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Ms Margaret Curran: I will be publishing our consultation paper Putting Our Communities First: A Strategy for Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour later today. Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 28038). It will also be available on the Scottish Executive website.

Caledonian MacBrayne

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the age profile is of the vessels in Caledonian MacBrayne’s passenger ferry fleet.

Nicol Stephen: Caledonian MacBrayne currently operates a fleet of 30 vessels. The year of build for the fleet is shown, in banded form, in the following table:

  


Year of Build 
  

Number of Vessels 
  



1998-2003 
  

5 
  



1993-97 
  

4 
  



1988-92 
  

6 
  



1983-87 
  

6 
  



1978-82 
  

1 
  



1973-77 
  

8 
  



  A further new vessel will be introduced to the fleet over the summer and one of the vessels in the oldest category is likely to be withdrawn in the autumn.

Caledonian MacBrayne

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether recent discussions have taken place with Caledonian MacBrayne concerning the ordering of replacement vessels for its passenger ferry fleet.

Nicol Stephen: We are considering, in conjunction with Caledonian MacBrayne, our future infrastructure and vessel investment requirements as part of the development of the final tender specification for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services tendering exercise. Decisions about future investment in vessels or infrastructure will be made later this year when a number of investment appraisals being undertaken by the company are complete.

Common Agricultural Policy

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms are in Scotland’s best interests.

Allan Wilson: The Agriculture Council reached agreement on reform of the CAP early this morning (26 June). The deal is a very good one for Scotland. It is a major step towards making Scottish agriculture more responsive to the market place and sees an end to bureaucratic regimes. We have achieved the flexibility required to tailor support in the best interests of our farming sector, secured transitional arrangements under modulation and improved the position for our dairy and cereals sector.

  We will work with stakeholders to implement these radical reforms in order to achieve the best outcome for Scotland.

Common Agricultural Policy

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome was of the Common Agricultural Policy reform negotiation at the Agriculture Council on 25 and 26 June 2003.

Ross Finnie: The Agriculture Council reached agreement on a CAP reform package at around 7.00am on 26 June after an all-night sitting. This was the culmination of detailed final discussions and negotiations over the last three weeks.

  The deal is a very good one for Scotland. The central element of it is breaking the link between subsidies and production (known as decoupling), which allows producers to respond to market signals and consumer requirements and sees an end to bureaucratic regimes.

  We have pressed the case throughout these difficult and protracted negotiations for the necessary degree of flexibility to enable Scotland to manage the reform process. This deal provides that flexibility both on the decoupled elements of the package and in the use of targeted support to assist transition to the new arrangements.

  The provision to transfer funds to support rural development has been much improved from the Commission's original proposals. Scotland will now be able to retain at least 80 per cent of the funds taken from subsidising production to support rural development.

  Tying support to promoting best practice on our farms will help in our drive to raise standards across the industry.

  Decisions on proposals to reduce subsidies further (known as degression) have been deferred. A new financial discipline will trigger action to reduce subsidies if CAP expenditure is in danger of exceeding the agreed ceilings.

  This deal represents a significant improvement on earlier proposals. In the face of January’s damaging proposals for Scotland’s dairy industry, we have achieved a lower reduction in milk prices and an increase in compensation for farmers. We have maintained the cereals price against a proposal for a 5 per cent cut. There will, however, be a reduction of 50 per cent in the monthly increments. This compares with an initial suggestion to remove increments altogether.

  We have substantially achieved our objectives. We have the option of decoupling for our livestock industry, achieved the flexibility required to tailor support in the best interests of Scotland farming, secured transitional arrangements under modulation and improved the position for our dairy and cereals sectors. Overall, the reforms will contribute to improving the sustainability of our farming sector and help us meet the commitments in A Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture.

  We will work with all interests to implement these radical reforms in order to achieve the best outcome for Scotland.

Diabetes

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Executive will take to improve the quality and availability of information for patients diagnosed with diabetes.

Mr Jack McConnell: Our Scottish Diabetes Framework recognises good patient information as an essential part of diabetes care. An action plan on patient information is currently being developed.

Diabetes

Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to improve the quality and availability of information for patients diagnosed with diabetes.

Malcolm Chisholm: Patient information is recognised in the Scottish Diabetes Framework as an essential part of diabetes care. The objective is for all people with diabetes and their carers to have access to information which is relevant, consistent and appropriate to their needs. High-quality patient information does exist, although it is recognised that at present it is not universally available. Action plans covering both patient information and patient education are currently being developed by the Patient Focus Implementation Group, a sub-group of the Scottish Diabetes Group (the national group responsible for monitoring and implementing the Scottish Diabetes Framework).

Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to limit exam appeals of school pupils.

Peter Peacock: The appeals system for national qualifications is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA).

  However, I have been given assurances that the SQA has not introduced a cap or quota on the number of appeals that can be submitted.

Health

Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it will give that elective surgery in Fife will continue to be available at any time in the year.

Malcolm Chisholm: I understand that NHS Fife will not proceed with any reduction in elective surgical activity this year.

  Planned admissions for elective surgical are booked as normal.

Historic Scotland

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the key performance targets that it has set for Historic Scotland for 2003-04.

Mr Frank McAveety: I have set Historic Scotland the following key performance targets for 2003-04.

  


Key Performance Area 
  

Target 
  



Protecting Scotland’s Built Heritage 
  



Number of monuments scheduled 
  

217 
  



Weighted number of listed building resurvey units 
  

125 
  



No. of weeks in which 80% of Scheduled Monument Consent 
  cases resolved 
  

9 
  



Percentage of Listed Building Consent cases resolved within 
  28 days 
  

97% 
  



Number of condition surveys completed for properties in 
  care 
  

65 
  



Promoting and Presenting the Built Heritage 
  



HS market share compared to other paid visitor attractions 
  in Scotland* 
  

55% 
  



Performance rating from the Mystery Visit programme (using 
  three-year rolling average) 
  

87% 
  



Average retail spend per visitor 
  

£2.35 
  



Agency Management 
  



Percentage efficiency gains/savings on non-grant expenditure 
  

1% 
  



  Note:

  *A basket of 30 properties is used.

Justice

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what precise steps it is taking as central authority under the Hague Convention in Scotland to support the Scottish mother and her attorney in the United States of America in the child abduction case Fawcett v McRoberts , and what further action is planned.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish ministers transmitted to the United States the application for the child’s return to Scotland; supplied the necessary factual information and documentary evidence to support it; provided relevant information about Scots law in connection with the question whether Ms Fawcett had "rights of custody" under the Hague Convention, and liased with the US Central Authority, Ms Fawcett’s Attorney and her Scottish solicitors concerning progress with the case. The Scottish ministers have performed all the functions of a requesting Central Authority under the convention, and will continue to do so in connection with any future proceedings in the USA.

  Provision of legal aid in foreign court proceedings does not form part of the obligations of a requesting Central Authority under the convention. The US authorities have a responsibility to ensure that left-behind parents are properly represented there, as Ms Fawcett has been so far.

Justice

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it was first advised of issues with the new integrated Scottish criminal justice information system and what action it then took.

Cathy Jamieson: The Integration of Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems programme commenced in 1992 and supports the development of IT links between existing computer systems in the various Scottish criminal justice organisations by developing agreed data standards. The principal exchanges take place between the police, the procurator fiscal and the sheriff courts and links between these were introduced area by area in Scotland, beginning in 1999 and concluding in 2002 in Strathclyde.

  Implementation of the links affected the conduct of business in all areas but the only substantial difficulties arose in Strathclyde Police, in the preparation of reports for submission to the procurator fiscal. The Crown Office drew the existence of a backlog to the Justice Department’s attention in September and inquiries were made of the force at that time. They confirmed that there was a backlog of reports and that they, in consultation with procurators fiscal, were introducing procedures aimed at improving the quality and timeliness of reports. As background, they explained that the volume of reports had increased in 2002 as a result of higher detection rates and that this had added to existing difficulties in transcribing reports for transmission to the procurator fiscal and other IT problems experienced at that time. The force have advised that the proportion of reports submitted within eight weeks of charge in May was 45% compared to 29% in November 2002 and that work is continuing to further improve this.

  The process of police reporting and in particular delays in reporting will be covered by an HMIC thematic report into crime management due to be published later this year.

Marine Environment

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty’s Government about the designation of the Darwin Mounds as a special area of conservation under the EU habitats and birds directives.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive is in close discussion with Whitehall colleagues about the potential designation of the Darwin Mounds as a special area of conservation under the EC Habitats Directive.

  Scottish ministers and the UK Government as a whole are committed to ensuring the conservation obligations contained in the EC Habitats Directive are met, and to protecting those internationally important species and habitats that occur within UK jurisdiction.

  The UK Government has been drafting legislation that will provide the legal mechanism to designate and protect important conservation areas outwith the territorial sea under the Wild Birds and Habitats Directives. The Scottish Executive has been closely involved in the development of this proposed legislation, in relation to which the UK Government will shortly issue a consultation document.

Marine Environment

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations have taken place with Her Majesty’s Government on its position on the need for progressive and substantial reductions in discharges of radioactive substances in the north-east Atlantic being considered at the Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic on 23 to 26 June 2003.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has regular discussions with the UK Government on a number of issues, including issues relating to the Oslo and Paris Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Northeast Atlantic (OSPAR).

  The UK strategy for radioactive discharges 2001-02 was published by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the devolved administrations in July 2002. That strategy describes how the UK will comply with its agreed commitments to the OSPAR strategy for radioactive substances.

NHS Staff

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the EU working time directive has been implemented for all NHS workers and whether its operation is being monitored

Malcolm Chisholm: All NHSScotland employers are required to comply with the Working Time Regulations, and are required to hold documentary evidence to confirm compliance.

  Doctors in training are currently excluded from the European Working Time Directive but will be included from August 2004.

NHS Staff

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will respond to the Supplement to the Thirty-Second Report 200 3 and recommendations of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Supplement to the Thirty-Second Report 200 3 of the Review Body on Doctors and Dentists (DDRB) pay was published on 25 June.

  This supplementary report covers general dental practitioners (GDPs), those in the salaried primary dental care services, General Medical Practitioner (GMP) Registrars and salaried GMPs employed by a primary care organisation. The DDRB will report later on General Medical Services. The main part of their report, which covers career grade hospital doctors and dentists, doctors and dentists in training and ophthalmic medical practitioners, was published on 19 May and the recommendations for pay for 2003-04 for these groups were accepted in full and without staging.

  I am grateful to the chairman and members of the review body for their hard work in dealing with their remit groups.

  The review body has recommended an increase to the out-of-hours supplement payable to GMP Registrars. It has also recommended for the first time a pay range for salaried GMPs employed by primary care organisations.

  Salaried dentists accepted a three-year pay offer in March, linked to a review of salaried dental services. For GDPs, the DDRB has recommended an increase in the feescale of 3.225% from 1 April 2003 and an increase in the NHS commitment scheme of £1 million for Scotland.

  I am pleased to confirm that the Scottish Executive has accepted the recommendations on pay contained in the supplementary report of the DDRB for 2003-04 in full and without staging.

PETS Passport Scheme

Dr Sylvia Jackson (Stirling) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the implementation of the pet passport scheme on the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry route.

Allan Wilson: The Pet Travel Scheme (Scotland) Order 2003 was made by the Scottish ministers on 31 March and came into force in Scotland on 8 April 2003. Superfast Ferries the company which operates the route indicated to my officials in April that they planned to put any work on PETS on hold for at least six months to concentrate on developing other parts of their business.

Prison Service

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Prison Service will provide assistance to facilitate an early return to work for prison staff injured in accidents at work.

Cathy Jamieson: Yes. The Scottish Prison Service offer a range of support services to enable any employee who is absent due to ill-health to return to work as quickly as possible. This is supported by medical advice supplied by the Occupational Health Advisors to the Service.

Rail Network

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Dumfries and Galloway Council about the timetable for the construction of the new footbridge at Lockerbie Station and when the project will be completed.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive is in regular contact with Dumfries and Galloway Council about progress on the construction of a new disabled access footbridge at Lockerbie rail station, for which funding has already been allocated in 2003-04.

Renewable Energy

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when an announcement is expected on the proposal to build a 2.0-megawatt hydro-electric generating station at Garrogie in the Highlands.

Lewis Macdonald: I can announce that the Scottish ministers have granted consent on this proposal in terms of section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. Additionally, this consent carries deemed planning permission in terms of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

Road Accidents

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents have been reported on the A9 between the Keir roundabout at Dunblane and Broxden roundabout at Perth in each of the last five years.

Nicol Stephen: The number of injury accidents that have been reported on the A9 between Keir roundabout at Dunblane and Broxden roundabout at Perth in each of the last five years is as follows:

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Slight 
  

Total 
  



1998 
  

2 
  

15 
  

22 
  

39 
  



1999 
  

2 
  

9 
  

32 
  

43 
  



2000 
  

4 
  

11 
  

15 
  

30 
  



2001 
  

4 
  

9 
  

30 
  

43 
  



2002 
  

1 
  

4 
  

17 
  

22

Road Accidents

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which road locations in the Perth and Kinross area have recorded fatal and serious road accidents in each year since 1999.

Nicol Stephen: Fatal and serious road accidents have been recorded on the A9, M90, A90 and A85 trunk roads within the Perth and Kinross area in each year since 1999. Accident figures for local authority roads are not held centrally. The trunk road accident figures are as follows:

  A9

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1999 
  

4 
  

18 
  

22 
  



2000 
  

7 
  

18 
  

25 
  



2001 
  

9 
  

13 
  

22 
  



2002 
  

3 
  

10 
  

13 
  



Total 
  

23 
  

59 
  

82 
  



  M90

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1999 
  

0 
  

7 
  

7 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

7 
  

7 
  



2001 
  

0 
  

6 
  

6 
  



2002 
  

2 
  

3 
  

5 
  



Total 
  

2 
  

23 
  

25 
  



  A90

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1999 
  

2 
  

8 
  

10 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

5 
  

5 
  



2001 
  

2 
  

8 
  

10 
  



2002 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  



Total 
  

5 
  

22 
  

27 
  



  A85

  


Year 
  

Fatal 
  

Serious 
  

Total 
  



1999 
  

0 
  

8 
  

8 
  



2000 
  

0 
  

15 
  

15 
  



2001 
  

1 
  

9 
  

10 
  



2002 
  

1 
  

9 
  

10 
  



Total 
  

2 
  

41 
  

43

Scottish Water

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether cost efficiency has been achieved in the expenditure plans of non-departmental government bodies such as Scottish Water and, if not, what economies will be made.

Mr Andy Kerr: Scottish Water is the only public corporation in Scotland. I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-164 on 9 June 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  All non-departmental public bodies are required to ensure that resources are used economically, efficiently and effectively.

Tourism

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage tourism.

Lewis Macdonald: Tourism is one of Scotland’s biggest business sectors bringing in over £4 billion to the Scottish economy and employing nearly 200,000 people. The key public bodies supporting tourism, including VisitScotland, the enterprise networks, local authorities, Historic Scotland and the European Union invest over £80 million per year into Scottish tourism.

  We are continuing to take new action to increase the number of tourists visiting Scotland. The Interim Route Development fund of £6.8 million is already showing signs of being a great success with a number of new routes direct to Scotland from Europe up and running. VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise have been central to deciding on what routes will be best for Scotland focussing on bringing in leisure and business tourists. VisitScotland has been quick to react to this opportunity and is putting more emphasis than ever before on business tourism with over £1.7 million being allocated this year to this area alone.

  We will continue to invest in tourism to achieve our key strategic aims. We will continue to build a strong and successful brand for Scottish tourism; we will drive for better quality and value and we will have a local structure for tourism delivery that is right for Scotland now and for the future. We are also working with the enterprise networks, Careers Scotland and others to give tourism a higher career choice profile, and to improve skills and training performance in the sector by encouraging businesses to invest more in their people.

  Tourism is everyone’s business, and we all have a duty to encourage it, and to make Scotland a must-visit, must-return destination.